From tone to research depth, blog posts and articles frequently get mixed up. Even seasoned professionals sometimes blur the lines.

This discussion creates confusion around format and value. Is a blog post an article? Can an article also be a blog post? What separates one from the other? Should one type of writing earn less? Is writing an article more profitable? Can I make money writing either articles or blogs?

This guide explores how blog posts and articles serve different goals, follow different structures, and speak to different readers. Understanding those differences helps writers build better content and potentially earn more.

Writing an article vs. writing a blog post

For years, blog posts and nonfiction articles were distinctly different:

Then something happened, and over the past few years, the lines became blurred.

What is a blog post?

The word blog comes from a blend of web and log—a digital logbook or journal published on the internet. Most blog posts live on personal or business websites and offer short, focused content built around one main idea.

Unlike traditional articles, blog posts often follow a relaxed, conversational tone. Many focus on stories, insights or updates. This narrative form helps writers build trust and spark interest without overwhelming readers with heavy research or formal structure.

Blog article writing serves different purposes. Some posts share personal reflections. Others teach a skill, explain a process or promote a product. No matter the topic, strong blog posts connect with a specific audience and speak directly to their needs.

Most blog posts fall within the 300-word to 2,000-word range. Short paragraphs, SEO optimized headings and bullet points help readers scan content. Blog writing works best when built around connection, clarity and community.

Pro tip: If you’re passionate about blogging, create your own blog and monetize it.

What is an article?

An article is a formal piece of writing built around information, logic and structure. Unlike blog posts, articles dive deeper into a topic, often covering multiple key points rather than focusing on just one.

The article writing process starts with topic selection and thorough research. Writers gather facts, expert quotes and references to support each point. Articles often follow a deductive structure—beginning with a main idea or hypothesis, then building toward a conclusion using evidence and analysis.

Length varies widely depending on the industry, but many articles stretch beyond 2,500 words. This format works well for topics that require depth, such as industry trends, technical breakdowns or academic insights. Strong structure, organized paragraph flow and proper formatting guide the reader through each section with clarity.

Writers usually edit and review articles carefully, checking for grammatical errors, relevance and accuracy. Quality content and backed-up facts set good articles apart.

These pieces often appear in print publications, digital magazines or professional websites.

While blog articles speak more casually to potential customers or general readers, articles tend to target a specific audience with subject knowledge, such as researchers, industry experts or professionals seeking in-depth information.

Whether written for a corporate platform or a scholarly journal, article writing calls for focus, research and precision.

What is the difference between blogs and articles?

Although many use blog and article interchangeably, each style of writing has a different purpose, structure, tone and research level. Understanding the difference between blogs and articles helps writers create better content and choose the right format for each goal.

1. Point of view and tone

Blog article writing usually follows a personal tone. Writers often use a first-person or second-person voice to build a connection with readers. The tone stays casual, warm and sometimes playful, which is ideal for storytelling, sharing updates, or simplifying complex topics.

On the other hand, articles follow a formal tone and third-person structure. Writers avoid personal opinions and instead rely on evidence, data and expert voices. This style creates distance, letting facts take the lead.

2. Purpose and audience

Blogs and articles both educate, but their goals and readers differ.

A blog post aims to attract potential customers, build brand personality, boost engagement and simplify big ideas. Blog content supports search engine visibility and encourages interaction. Readers often include curious individuals, general audiences or early-stage buyers.

Articles focus on delivering deep, structured knowledge. These pieces may appear in journals, publications or professional sites. Readers expect clarity, supporting evidence, and subject expertise.

3. Structure and length

Structure plays a big role in the difference between article and blog formats.

Blog posts usually follow a loose outline: an introduction, a few key points and a conclusion. Lists, bullet points and subheadings help readers scan. The average word count falls between 300 and 2,000.

Articles follow a stricter format: thesis or hypothesis, followed by evidence, analysis, and a logical conclusion. These texts often exceed 2,500 words and may stretch to 5,000 or more, especially when supported by interviews or case studies.

4. Research and sources

Blog writing may include personal experiences, industry trends, or informal sources. While research plays a role, fact-checking isn’t always rigorous. Blog posts often focus on sharing insights or tips in the writer’s own words.

Articles rely on detailed research, expert interviews, academic citations and structured arguments. Every claim demands support from credible data or published studies. Many articles include footnotes, references or linked sources.

5. Publication and editing process

Blogs live mostly on websites, especially in the form of blog feeds or update sections. Writers publish their content, often without outside proofreading and editing. This direct route allows fast publishing and flexible updates.

Articles go through formal channels. Editors review, revise, and approve content before publication. These pieces may appear in digital magazines, newspapers, academic journals or trade publications.

6. Language and style

Blog language leans toward simplicity and relatability. Writers choose short sentences, plain language and often use questions or humor.

Article writing uses precise language, technical terms and a structured flow. This tone helps professionals and specialists understand deeper concepts.

7. SEO, visibility, and engagement

Blog articles often include SEO keywords to help search engines index content. Writers use titles, subheadings and links to improve visibility. Comments, shares, and likes contribute to reader interaction and long-term traffic.

Articles rarely focus on keyword placement. Instead, they highlight authority, trust and depth. Engagement stays limited to expert circles or academic responses.

Pro tip: If you’re not familiar with SEO, explore SEO websites to improve your SEO skills.

8. Monetary value

Pay varies between the two formats. Blog writing jobs often pay less, especially when the content is produced in bulk for marketing purposes. Some freelance writers report rates as low as $10–$20 per post.

Articles typically pay more, especially when published by media outlets or academic platforms. Rates range from $0.10 to $1 per word or more, depending on research, subject matter and publication reputation.

Why is the line between article and blog writing blurred?

Over time, the distinction between blogs and articles has begun to fade. What started as two distinct writing forms has slowly converged, creating confusion in content creation, particularly in pricing. This is one of the reasons why freelance writers don’t earn more money.

Blog-article convergence

As blog article writing matured, many blog posts adopted the qualities once reserved for article posts. Short, casual updates gave way to in-depth content, complete with interviews, case studies, and supporting data. Writers extended word counts, sometimes reaching 2,000 words or more, to provide real value and depth. Basic keyword stuffing became ineffective, and quality began to matter more than search-engine tricks.

Meanwhile, blog content began going through editors before publishing. Companies started treating blog posts more like articles—focused, structured and polished.

On the article side, change happened too. Print magazines went digital or reduced word count to fit shrinking space. Some adopted more informal, blog-style writing. Headlines needed to grab attention online, leading to titles that resembled blog formats. Even traditionally formal publications began accepting opinion-driven pieces from professionals and thought leaders.

In some cases, outlets created separate blogs on their websites, giving contributors access to post content directly, like bloggers.

The result: blogs and articles started to look and sound the same.

Client confusion

This shift led to uncertainty in the freelance writing space. Many clients now use the terms blog post and article interchangeably, even when the project scope demands more effort.

Some clients request short, informal posts and call them articles, despite offering low blog-level pay. Others ask for 1,000-word blog articles that include research, interviews, and a structure typical of full articles, then suggest a rate that barely covers basic blog writing.

For writers, this can create tension during project negotiation. Clear expectations often get lost under vague labels.

How writers can earn more

Although confusion exists, the shift in standards creates opportunities. Today, many blog posts look like articles, and the best ones meet high expectations, just like professional content in magazines or trade publications.

Freelancers who understand the difference between blogs and articles and know how to explain that difference can help clients understand what they’re truly requesting. This becomes a critical step toward better pay.

Writers who treat each blog article like a quality content piece with structure, research, clarity, and editing can confidently negotiate higher rates. As blog writing evolves, blog content should no longer be treated as a lesser form.

Which one pays better and why?

In the world of freelance writing, article posts usually command higher rates than blog articles. Blog content often falls in the lower price range, with many writers earning between $50 and $100 per post. For those focused on professional blog article writing, setting a minimum rate, such as $100 per piece, can help maintain value and avoid underpayment.

However, article writing tends to offer greater earning potential. Rates often range from $300 to $500, with some reaching $600 or more, depending on length, subject complexity, and the publication. Business publications, magazines and trade journals frequently invest in quality content that informs and educates a targeted audience. This opens the door for higher compensation.

Smaller newspapers or local media outlets may offer modest rates, sometimes between $75 and $100 per article, but bring other benefits. These projects help writers build strong portfolios and gain experience in structured reporting. Over time, this foundation can lead to premium writing assignments and long-term client relationships.

In short, writing articles tends to pay more than blog posts because of higher expectations around research, structure and editorial quality. For freelance writers, choosing the right type of writing and educating clients about project scope can make a significant difference in earnings.

4 ways to navigate writing an article vs. a blog post

With blurred lines between blogs and articles, clarity becomes a critical step in working with clients or finding better-paying ones. Writers who define project scope clearly, structure their content effectively and explain value with confidence can earn more and deliver better quality content.

1. Define the assignment

Whether clients request an article or a blog post, get specific about the assignment. Ask questions about the target audience, expected word count, structure and whether interviews or external sources will be included. Understanding content length, tone and required research helps avoid confusion.

For example:

• Does the content need expert quotes?
• Should the tone feel casual or professional?
• Will the piece follow a step-by-step guide or an in-depth explanation?

Getting clarity at the outset saves time and improves workflow, especially when writing articles that demand more detail and a stronger structure.

2. Reframe the request

Some clients may label something a blog post, even when the project looks like a well-developed article. In that case, make the case for writing an article. Use examples to show the difference between a short post and a structured, informative piece with key details, interviews and analysis.

Explain how articles help build credibility and support long-term content goals. A good article connects with potential customers, answers questions with authority and increases trust.

3. Sell the right format

If a client seems unsure of what their asking for, guide them toward the format that fits their goals. For deeper subjects, data or high-stakes messaging, recommend article writing. Present it as a smart move for thought leadership, professional reputation and search visibility.

Writing articles positions businesses as experts. When well-written in your own words, edited carefully and structured with a clear introduction, body and conclusion, this type of content offers long-term value and stronger engagement.

4. Offer blog upgrades

If the goal involves regular blog posts, suggest taking the blog to the next level. Recommend expanding post length, including real-life examples, or using a magazine-style approach with stronger outlines and more polished language.

Turning casual blog posts into quality content enhances a brand’s online presence. With better formatting, stronger narrative flow and editing, even simple blog article writing can lead to higher visibility and better reader retention.

How do you start writing an article?

Writing an article involves following a process that helps produce quality content, engage readers and meet client goals. Using a structured approach makes the task manageable and effective.

1. Understand the purpose and target audience

Before starting, identify the article’s purpose. Is it to inform, educate or persuade? Knowing this guides the tone, style and research depth. Also, pinpoint the target audience. Understanding their needs, interests and knowledge level helps tailor the content precisely.

2. Choose a strong topic and develop a unique angle

Select a relevant subject that fits the publication or client’s goals. Then find a unique angle or main idea to make the article stand out. This focus helps keep writing on track and provides value to readers.

Pro tip: Use keyword research tools to discover trending topics and popular questions in your niche.

3. Conduct thorough research

Research articles carefully using credible sources, expert opinions, and up-to-date data. Gather facts and examples to support each point. Note key details to reference during writing, which adds authority and credibility.

Pro tip: Keep a research journal or document to organize facts, quotes, and source links for easy access.

4. Create an outline or structure

Outline the article before drafting. Break content into sections: introduction, body and conclusion. List key points under each heading to organize ideas logically. This step improves flow and readability.

5. Write the first draft

Start writing your first rough draft without worrying about perfection. Focus on conveying ideas using your own words. Use paragraphs and subheadings to make the article easy to scan. Include examples or quotes where needed to strengthen points.

Pro tip: Set a timer for focused writing sessions (like 25 minutes) to maintain momentum and reduce distractions.

6. Edit and review thoroughly

Editing articles involves checking grammar, sentence structure and overall clarity. Fact-check all claims and ensure consistency. Trim unnecessary words and improve transitions between paragraphs. Polished language and error-free content boost professionalism.

7. Add final touches and submit

Format the article according to publication guidelines: add links, citations or images if required. Write a compelling title and meta description that summarizes the main idea and entices readers. Submit the article confidently, knowing it meets quality standards.

How to get the win when writing an article or a blog post

The fact is, while you can make serious money blogging, articles and article-style blog posts convey more authority. They impress more of your client’s customers. The projects will result in greater success, and those clients will be more likely to hire you back. It’s a classic win-win: you can charge more at the start, and will likely end up getting more work from the client too, because they’ll be happier with the results they get.

This all sets you up to go after better-paying magazine markets, if this is your goal.

FAQs

What is the format for writing an article?

Writing an article follows a structured format: introduction, body and conclusion. Begin with a strong first draft that presents the main point. Then, organize supporting sections to discuss key ideas. Whether it’s a personal essay or a professional paper, formatting helps highlight important things and ensures the final draft reads smoothly and feels relevant to the audience.

What is the proper structure of an article?

A good article begins with a hook, follows with organized paragraphs, and ends with a clear conclusion. Each section should contribute to the story or subject in focus. The structure supports clarity in writing and allows readers to follow the course of ideas. Before submission, writers should review the draft to polish transitions and remove distractions from the main message.

What is an example of an article?

A single article may look like a detailed guide on how to care for a family member with Alzheimer’s. It starts with a first draft, includes relevant facts and ends with practical steps. Compared to informal blog content, this type of writing contributes depth and earns more money. Articles like this often appear in medical journals, nonprofit newsletters or lifestyle publications.

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Many bloggers find creative ways to turn blog posts into profit and make money writing, whether it’s through running a niche site, monetizing with an ad network, developing brand partnerships or building a loyal buying audience.

Ready to earn from your blog? This guide covers smart, sustainable methods to generate income and drive blog traffic. Keep reading to explore proven ways to monetize a blog and build momentum with high-impact content.

15 proven blog monetization strategies and tactics

After starting your blog, you don’t need to hustle nonstop to make it profitable. Despite what countless blogs and videos suggest, smart blog monetization doesn’t mean working 24/7.

With the right mix of monetization tactics, your blog can start earning money within a few weeks.

The key? Choose ways to monetize a blog that fit your specific interests and help you deliver content your audience values. Here are 15 tactics to consider.

1. Add display ads for passive income

Most bloggers start here because this is the classic “make money while you sleep” method. Once your blog has steady traffic, display ads can generate income in the background with minimal effort.

Google AdSense is a popular starting point for most bloggers, but higher-traffic blogs can join networks such as Mediavine or AdThrive for better rates.

If you’re in a niche market, you might also sell ad space directly to relevant businesses. This won’t be your highest-earning method early on, but it’s low-effort and keeps adding up over time.

2. Earn by becoming an affiliate marketer

One of the easiest ways to monetize your blog when you’re just starting out is to link out to affiliates within your regular blog posts.

The concept is simple: publish articles that recommend a product or service and if someone purchases through your custom link, you earn a commission.

This strategy is powerful because it’s scalable. The more traffic your website receives to monetized blog posts, the more potential income you can earn. Thanks to tactics like affiliate marketing, you can generate passive income from content that continues attracting visitors long after it’s published.

To get started, check out existing affiliate networks:

• Amazon Associates
• ShareASale
• Impact
• Awin
• Commission Junction
• FlexOffers
• Etsy Affiliates

There is an application process and if you’re approved, then you’ll find the most success by focusing on writing content that genuinely helps readers and suggests affiliate resources as a solution to a problem they’re facing.

Think tutorials, comparisons or personal experiences that naturally include the affiliate product. These types of posts tend to convert far better than simply inserting links into unrelated topics.

If you want to go a step further, create a “Favorites” or “Recommended Tools” page that curates all your top affiliate picks in one place. Just be sure you’re only promoting tools or products you’ve actually used—authenticity leads to better trust and higher conversions.

3. Publish paid posts for brands

Publishing paid posts can be a lucrative way to earn from your blog. These typically come in the form of sponsored posts, where a company pays you to write a dedicated article featuring their product, service or tool. If you have a lot of traffic or a niche, loyal audience, brands could be willing to pay hundreds or even thousands for a single post. It all depends how you’re positioned.

To get started, showcase brands organically by using affiliate links and writing content that highlights their value. Once you’ve got some engagement data—clicks, conversions or positive reader feedback—you can approach the brand with a pitch. Be sure to share your audience demographics, blog stats and any results from your affiliate activity to build credibility.

Sometimes brands will approach you directly, especially if your blog is on their radar, but don’t be afraid to make the first move. When you pitch, make sure it’s aligned with both their goals and your audience’s interests.

4. Form strategic brand partnerships

Think of this as next-level collaboration. When you form strategic partnerships with others in your niche, you’re not just co-creating—you’re co-marketing.

Maybe you host a joint webinar, launch a course together or co-author a guide. You both benefit from being in front of the other’s audiences, which can lead to a spike in traffic, sales and email subscribers.

Brand deals don’t have to be huge to be effective. You can start by reaching out to like-minded creators or small businesses with a similar target audience.

One piece of advice: make sure your agreement outlines ownership, revenue sharing and promotion responsibilities. It’s a professional relationship so treat it like one.

5. Score long-term sponsorship deals

Once your blog is established, it can become a valuable space for long-term sponsorships. These contracts will often pay more than display ads or one-off affiliate commissions (and will be less intrusive for your readers as well).

Think of this as exclusive advertising: a company pays to be the only brand mentioned in your sidebar, newsletter, podcast, or on specific high-performing blog posts.

You don’t have to wait for brands to find you. Create a media kit with your audience stats and pitch your website as a sponsorship opportunity. Reach out directly to companies aligned with your niche and values, especially their marketing departments or partnership managers.

Some sponsors may also want to be featured in a branded content series, event or course. If you host webinars or online summits, sponsorship packages can include logo placement, product mentions or co-promotion rights.

This type of blog monetization strategy rewards creators with niche authority and a loyal readership. It works best when there’s trust, both with your readers and the brand.

6. Turn your expertise into a book

Developing digital products, such as ebooks and audio books, is one of the easiest paths to monetizing a blog.

If you’re a professional freelance writer, you already have high-quality writing skills so putting together an ebook is an obvious next step. Having products gives you a huge edge over people who stop at selling writing services.

Your blog posts, especially when written around a topic, often outline a comprehensive book outline without you realizing it.

If you aren’t sure if your blog has the right content to develop into a book, or you want some extra guidance, hiring a book writing coach can help you in this process. Book coaches guide you through shaping your ideas into something you can be proud of publishing and selling.

Here’s how to earn from a blog-based book:

• Self-publish on Amazon and drive traffic using your special Amazon affiliate link
• Sell your books directly on your website as downloadable files

Self-publishing on Amazon expands your reach to readers outside your regular blog audience. You’ll need to format your manuscript, create a standout cover, research keyword-rich categories and promote the book using search engine results or social media marketing.

In order to stand out on Amazon, you may find investing in Amazon ads for authors is the best way to promote your work on this platform. The upside? If you get your ad targeting right, you’ll grow your blog’s reach, establish credibility and build a direct line to new readers.

7. Create and sell digital products

Selling other digital creations is another excellent way to diversify your blog income.

Digital products can include:

• Ebooks or guides
• Online courses or mini-workshops
• Printable planners or worksheets
• Templates or design kits
• Webinars or recorded training

Selling directly from your website gives you full control. Checkout software such as WooCommerce, ThriveCart or SamCart allow you to accept payments and deliver digital files instantly. Best of all, cart checkout software is built to securely handle financial transactions legally and safely.

If you’re looking for more than a cart checkout, then consider options such as Gumroad, SendOwl or Shopify.

You can productize your teaching with courses or programs using tools such as Teachable, Kajabi or Podia.

You can also consider physical products if they make sense, but for simplicity and lower overhead, many bloggers start with digital offers or drop shipping.

If you’re interesting in drop shipping, then check out services such as Printful or Spocket. These websites allow you to design and list items on your website and once an order is placed, they handle production and fulfillment.

Unlike affiliate marketing, where you earn a commission for recommending a product, you receive the bulk of the revenue when you sell digital products on your site.

8. Add a Services page to your website

Once your blog showcases your expertise, offering paid services becomes a natural extension. Add a Services or a “Work With Me” page. This is your invitation for potential clients to hire you for freelance writing jobs, consulting or creative services.

List what you offer clearly, showcase testimonials or results, and include a way to get in touch. Your blog posts themselves serve as proof that you can write, engage readers and understand how to write for an online audience.

Bonus points if you’ve got strong SEO, a niche focus, and a solid social presence—it all helps clients see the value you bring.

In short: write every post like it’s a $1,000 assignment. Because it just might land you one.

9. Recruit affiliates to sell your products

If you’re already selling digital products, courses or other downloads, why not let others help you make the sale? Instead of promoting someone else’s affiliate link, flip the script: create your own affiliate program and let other bloggers or creators earn a commission by selling your products.

Platforms like ClickBank, Gumroad and Podia allow you to manage affiliates easily. We recommend offering a generous commission—40–50%—to attract motivated partners. Just be sure to enforce a no-discount rule to protect your pricing. Running an affiliate program is a fantastic way to monetize your audience indirectly, gaining reach you couldn’t have on your own.

10. Accept reader donations to support your work

While not a guaranteed income stream, accepting donations can play a meaningful role in your monetization mix, especially if your content provides deep value, shares personal stories or fills a niche underserved by traditional media.

Think of it as a reader-supported blog model, similar to what many indie journalists and creators use today.

Tools like Buy Me a Coffee, Ko-fi and PayPal donations make it simple to add this to your site. Platforms like Substack and Ghost also integrate tipping features directly into email content.

While you shouldn’t rely on donations as your main source of revenue, this can help you gauge how much your audience values your work and build goodwill that supports future product or subscription launches.

11. Offer premium content for paid subscribers

If you’re looking for a more predictable, month-to-month income, consider subscriptions and memberships. For a small fee—for example, $5 to $15 per month—your audience can access exclusive content not available anywhere else.

While affiliate links and sponsored posts generate income per sale, a subscription model creates ongoing value. You can offer members-only blog posts, downloadable resources, videos, Q&As or a private community.

Platforms like Patreon make this easy, but you can also use WordPress plugins (like WishList Member) to build your own setup. With consistent value, small recurring payments add up quickly.

12. Create a money-making email list

If you haven’t started growing your email list yet, you’re missing one of the highest-converting ways to generate income from your blog. Your list is built from individuals who trust you and want to hear more from you by email.

To get started:

• Choose a reliable email marketing service (some examples are ConvertKit, Flodesk and Mailerlite)
• Offer gated content, such as a guide, checklist or email series, in exchange for list sign-ups
• Add opt-in forms across your mobile-friendly site
• Deliver your content in a consistent, value-packed flow

Once you build your list, you unlock multiple blog monetization strategies. Promote your products, share affiliate products, or send sponsored posts. Email keeps your blog top of mind and builds a steady stream of income.

13. Send sponsored emails that pay

Once you have a healthy email list in place, you can land sponsored content deals through email alone. Brands will often pay to be featured directly in your newsletter, especially if your list is niche and engaged.

You can monetize your emails in two main ways:

• Dedicated email blasts: One brand, one email. These command higher rates and may include product tutorials or service spotlights
• Featured placements: Include two or three sponsored items in a round-up or newsletter. The payout is smaller, but it adds up across multiple deals

A tip for new bloggers and email marketers: For long-term success, only work with companies you’ve vetted. Promoting low-quality products or services can reduce trust and tank your engagement. Keep your quality content and reader trust front and center—and you’ll continue to earn money through email long after the post is published.

14. Get paid to speak about what you know

Booking paid speaking at events happens because of your blog (not on it), but it can be a powerful revenue stream all the same. Once you’ve built up content expertise and industry credibility, speaking at related events, conferences or workshops can become a natural next step. And it can pay well once you’re established.

If you’ve published a book, this can significantly boost your chances of being seen as an authority worth booking to speak. Event organizers are always looking for knowledgeable speakers who have something interesting to say.

Start by reaching out to events in your niche, offering a sample talk if possible, and highlighting your existing platform and experience.

15. Sell your blog as a digital asset

Here’s a powerful exit strategy few creators consider: sell your blog.

If your site has built up consistent traffic, engaged email subscribers and some passive income streams (ads, affiliates, digital products, etc.), it becomes a sellable asset.

Marketplaces like Flippa, Empire Flippers and Motion Invest specialize in buying and selling online businesses, including blogs. To increase your valuation, focus on building recurring revenue (like subscriptions or affiliate commissions), growing your traffic and maintaining clean site architecture.

Yes, some bloggers build with this goal in mind: launch, grow, exit. Even if you never sell, thinking this way helps you build a stronger, more valuable site from day one.

How to market your blog successfully and make money blogging

Imagine you walk into a hardware store and buy a hammer. You don’t expect it to automatically hammer nails for you, it’s a tool you need to pick up and use. Your blog works the same way.

Each blog post you publish is a tool, but it won’t generate traffic or earn money on its own. Individual posts on your own blog aren’t enough. You need to actively market your blog to build an established audience, increase your blog’s reach, and drive visitors from search engines, social media, and other channels to your site.

Once you have more traffic, you can implement a strong strategy to make money through multiple income streams, such as selling your products, placing ad space, offering exclusive content or creating sponsored posts.

However, none of this happens by accident. Marketing your blog can take your site from a hobby that doesn’t make much money to a source of income or a way to sell other services.

Creating high-quality content and quality backlinks is only the first step. Here are a few tips for driving traffic, building your own blog’s audience and maximizing profits.

Build relationships with celebrity bloggers and influencers

Networking with other bloggers and niche influencers can rapidly increase your blog’s visibility. By being active on social media platforms, you can attract new readers.

Genuine interaction—sharing their posts, commenting on their content or collaborating—helps build relationships that lead to links and shares. This boosts your visibility and helps to grow your blog’s reach organically.

Choose the right blogging platform for your blog

The platform you choose for your website influences your ability to integrate ad networks, Google AdSense or sell your own products and services. A free WordPress site offers limited flexibility for ad placements or creating content behind paywalls.

Opting for self-hosted WordPress gives you full control to customize your blog, add banner ads, implement push notifications and manage email marketing lists (even from mobile devices). Owning your blog domain also builds credibility with your target audience.

Build and engage your email subscribers

Your email list is a powerful direct line to your audience and an essential part of your monetization strategy. Offer a free guide or free information, such as a detailed product review, how-to or checklist, in exchange for an email subscription.

Use professional tools to manage subscribers and send out newsletters. Regular emails announcing new blog posts, exclusive gated content or upcoming online courses keep your community engaged and encourage them to become paying members or customers of your consulting services.

Publish a regular newsletter

If you’re also a newsletter writer, publish one consistently. A well-crafted newsletter strengthens your connection with your established audience by delivering valuable blog content directly to their inbox. Your newsletter could include highlights of recent posts, exclusive affiliate product deals and updates on your products or services.

Newsletters also allow you to promote recurring fee offerings like memberships or premium content. This steady engagement is key to building a steady stream of revenue.

Comment on and link to other blogs

Active participation in your niche through blog comments can attract attention to your blog. When you leave thoughtful comments on other blogs, you build relationships with other freelance writers and bloggers, increasing chances for collaborations or a potential product review down the road.

Linking to other sites also signals to search engines that you’re a valuable part of the blogging ecosystem, improving your search engine results.

Join blogging communities and forums

Joining writing communities (like Freelance Writers Den) or blogging forums (like Reddit blogging subreddits) or niche-specific communities helps you stay updated on best practices for monetization and SEO.

Sharing your blog content here allows you to attract targeted readers interested in your specific interests. These communities often offer opportunities for collaboration, sponsored post partnerships, and advice on how to monetize your blog more effectively and make money online.

Write guest posts on other sites

Guest post writing is a win-win. This provides valuable content to other blogs while exposing your brand to new readers. Most bloggers use guest posting as a key strategy to drive traffic back to their blogs and gain quality backlinks. Even if you’re not paid immediately, guest posts can lead to paid opportunities such as sponsored posts or consultations down the road.

Invite guest bloggers to your blog

Featuring guest writers on your blog adds fresh perspectives and attracts their audience to your site. Guest bloggers bring new readers who might subscribe to your newsletter or purchase your affiliate products, or your own products. It also allows you to focus on creating high-quality content by sharing the workload.

Create high-quality content that resonates

Creating great content or online courses tailored to your target audience’s needs and interests is the cornerstone of a successful blog. Valuable, in-depth posts solve problems, answer questions and engage readers, increasing shares and repeat visits.

Content that resonates improves your chances of being featured in search engine results, getting linked by other websites and being approved. This attracts organic traffic, essential for being approved by ad networks and other monetization strategies.

Optimize for search engines (SEO)

Use keyword research tools to find topics your audience is searching for and naturally include these keywords in your own blogs. Optimize titles, headings, meta descriptions, and images to improve rankings on search engines.

Try various SEO writing strategies because higher rankings mean more organic blog traffic, which is critical for getting paid based on ad networks, affiliate products or your offerings.

Tip: If you don’t have SEO skills, educate yourself on how to optimize your content online and explore SEO websites that can help you become better at SEO writing.

Craft strong headlines

There’s no second chance to make a first impression, so write headlines to impress. Remember that headlines that promise value or address a pain point increase clicks and shares. Strong headlines attract more visitors who may stay longer, subscribe, and help you monetize a blog by increasing overall traffic and engagement.

Leverage social media marketing

Use social media platforms to share your articles, engage with followers, and join conversations related to your niche. Paid ads can promote special offers like online courses, consulting services or exclusive content to help you make money.

Social media also drives referral traffic and helps build a loyal audience that supports your monetization efforts. Additionally, consider using social media management tools to ease your workload.

Design product landing pages that convert

If you sell products, online courses or consulting services, create dedicated advice blogs, landing pages or sales pages that communicate their benefits and features. Use testimonials, clear calls to action and pricing details to convert casual readers into paying customers. Well-designed pages help maximize profits from your blog’s reach.

Attend events and network in person when possible

Blogging conferences and niche meetups provide opportunities to connect with influencers, sponsors and fellow bloggers.

Face-to-face networking can lead to lucrative deals like sponsored posts, partnerships or advertising network collaborations. Events also offer chances to learn the latest strategies for monetizing your blog.

Say “yes” to public speaking opportunities

Speaking at industry events or on webinars builds your authority and blog’s reach. It can lead to paid work, consulting contracts and increased readership on your blog. Public speaking expands your professional network and creates new opportunities to promote your products or sell services.

Sell ad space and sponsored content

Once you have consistent blog traffic, monetize by selling ad placements or banner ads directly or through advertising networks like Google AdSense. You can also create sponsored posts with brands aligned to your niche.

These revenue streams can become a significant part of your monetization strategy, helping you build a steady stream of income.

Final tips on making money blogging

Now that you know how to monetize a blog and tap into the many blogging income streams available, it’s just as important to know what to avoid. Not every method is worth your time or will retain your audience’s trust. If your goal is to create a blog that earns long-term and builds trust with readers, steer clear of these common pitfalls.

Overloading your blog with ads

Sure, placing ads can technically help you make much money blogging. You’ll earn a little per impression or click, but it often comes at a cost. Too many ads can clutter your site, slow down load times and frustrate your visitors.

If someone clicks away from your content because a video auto-played or a pop-up blocked the screen, that’s blogging revenue lost.

Ads might be one of the oldest ways to earn money online, but for many bloggers, they’re also the least effective. Focus instead on monetization methods that keep readers engaged, not annoyed.

Selling low-quality products

Merchandise can be a smart online side hustle, especially if your brand has a loyal audience. But slapping your logo on a flimsy T-shirt just to make a quick buck? That’s a fast way to lose trust and tarnish your reputation.

Always test your products before selling them. Many drop shipping services let you order samples, so take advantage of that option. Remember, every product your reader receives is a reflection of your standards. Write great content, sell great merch—it all adds up to a trustworthy brand that can generate income.

Taking every sponsorship that comes your way

It can be tempting to accept every paid offer you get—after all, this is part of how to earn money from blogging. But pushing unrelated products just to make money can alienate your core audience. If you blog about wellness, promoting fast fashion or crypto deals won’t resonate.

The best sponsors are those aligned with your content and your readers’ interests. Stay selective. As your authority grows, better partnership opportunities will come your way, and your blogging revenue will be more sustainable in the long run.

• Focus on creating high-quality, relevant content
• Grow your audience organically to make money blogging
• Stick to blog monetization strategies that reflect your values

When you create a blog that earns trust first, the money follows naturally. Whether you’re in it for a creative outlet or a serious online side hustle, staying true to your audience is the most profitable move you can make.

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

A nurse writer uses their clinical knowledge to write about healthcare, medicine and patient care. They help share accurate information with readers, whether for medical journals, educational content or general health tips.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the writing industry is projected to grow by 5% over the next 10 years, showing a rising need for skilled writers. If you’re looking for nurse writer jobs to grow your freelance business, this guide is a great place to start.

Whether you’re writing for healthcare professionals or the public, nurse writers play a key role in delivering trustworthy and helpful information in the healthcare industry. Keep reading to explore nurse writer jobs and start writing today!

What is a nurse writer?

A nurse writer uses knowledge from nursing to create informative content about healthcare, medicine, and patient care and make money writing.

These writers produce clear, accurate materials for various audiences, from healthcare professionals to the general public. They may work as freelance nurse writers or join larger healthcare organizations.

What qualifications do I need to find nurse writer jobs?

To get into the nurse writer niche, most professionals first earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or higher. They must also pass the NCLEX-RN to become a registered nurse (RN).

Clinical experience in healthcare settings, such as hospitals or clinics, helps these writers develop the expertise needed to communicate complex medical topics.

Some nurse writers may also have advanced degrees or certifications, which can help them tackle specialized subjects like mental health or pediatrics.

As a nurse writer, what can I write about and for what publications?

A nurse writer’s work spans many areas within healthcare. They might write training materials, patient brochures, case studies, white papers or continuing education courses for healthcare professionals. These materials often focus on patient safety, disease management and healthcare practices.

Freelance nurse writers may create marketing content for pharmaceutical companies or medical device advertisements, while others might write articles for medical journals or online platforms.

Nurse writers can also contribute to medical apps, create recruitment materials for clinical studies or write content for healthcare websites. They often rely on their own hands-on experience to provide valuable insights and accurate information to readers.

Whether creating articles, newsletters or grant proposals, these writers play a key role in making healthcare knowledge accessible and understandable.

While some nurse writers seek job stability with healthcare organizations, others prefer the freedom and flexibility of freelance work.

Freelance writers choose the clients they want to work with, the types of projects they accept, and when they work. They must be skilled in research, editing, and communication to produce high-quality content on time.

How do I get into writing as a nurse?

Becoming a freelance writer allows you to combine your nursing expertise with writing skills. By sharing your knowledge of patient care, healthcare topics and medical practices, you can create content for health websites, blogs and educational materials.

Use your nursing experience

Start with your experience as a registered nurse. This gives you knowledge that helps you write about patient care, health issues and treatments. Clients look for this expertise in medical writing.

Improve your writing skills

Good writing skills matter. You don’t need extra degrees, but knowing how to write clearly and accurately is important. Learn writing styles like AP style, especially if you want to write for medical journals or health websites. Practice writing about nursing topics to build confidence.

Create a portfolio

Start building a portfolio with your best work. Include blog posts, patient education materials or healthcare articles. This shows potential clients your writing style and expertise.

Network and pitch

Networking is key to finding writing opportunities. Contact healthcare groups, health websites and educational platforms. Pitch your services and explain how your nursing background makes you a good fit.

Consider specialized training

You can take extra courses or earn certifications to build credibility. Courses in medical writing or certifications like Medical Writer Certified (MWC®) can help you grow in the field.

With a solid nursing background, a few writing courses and networking with other freelance writers through communities like the Freelance Writers Den, you can start your journey in medical writing and build a rewarding career.

10 sites that post nurse writer jobs

Nurse writers have many opportunities to find work in the healthcare industry, whether they prefer freelance nurse writer jobs or permanent positions.

Freelancers can work for a variety of clients, creating content for medical journals, health-related publications, academic papers and more. They can also collaborate with healthcare providers, marketing agencies, pharmaceutical companies or government organizations.

Some nurse writers even consult on projects for media outlets, contributing their expertise to portray nurses in books or TV shows.

If you’re a nurse looking to expand your career into writing, numerous organizations and websites offer opportunities. Here’s a list of trusted sites that pay to write, but keep in mind this is only the beginning!

1. Savvy Nurse Writer Job Board

Savvy Nurse Writer offers a job board tailored for nurse writers. Positions range from blog posts to specialized content in areas like pediatrics or oncology. Writers can apply by filling out a form for each listing and must create a profile in their writer database. Pay varies based on the project and client.

2. Allnurses

Allnurses provides resources and forums for nurse writers, including discussions on freelance writing tools and strategies. While it doesn’t directly list jobs, it’s a valuable community for networking and advice.

3. American Medical Writers Association (AMWA)

AMWA offers a freelance directory and job board for medical communicators. Membership provides access to job listings, networking opportunities and resources for professional development.

4. Nurse Jungle

Nurse Jungle is a comprehensive job board built specifically for nurses. On this site, there are job search tools, nursing licensure information, professional nurse associations and career hunting articles. While many of the jobs are nursing-specific, it’s worth checking for crossover writing jobs as well.

5. Nurse.com

Nurse.com is a popular source of continuing education, job opportunities and resources. This site has a robust job board, which has filters to search by title, specialty or state. The majority of the postings are for traditional nursing roles, but it’s worth setting up alerts for writing opportunities. 

6. Indeed

Indeed lists various nurse writer positions, including roles like Clinical Consultant RN, Medical Policy Writer, and Clinical Appeal Writer. Salaries range from $41.77 to $50.30 per hour, depending on the position. Requirements typically include a valid RN license and strong writing skills.

7. ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter features numerous nurse writer jobs with pay ranging from $28 to $62 per hour. Positions include roles like Clinical Content Editor and Nurse Medical Writer. Requirements vary but often include a BSN and relevant writing experience.

8. LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s job board lists over 200 nurse writer positions, including full time, part time and contract. Employers on LinkedIn seek candidates with clinical experience and strong writing skills. Salaries and requirements vary by position.

9. Scripted

Scripted is a freelance writing marketplace connecting writers with clients seeking content. Writers set their rates, and pay depends on the project. However, you must have strong writing skills and a professional portfolio.

10. Freelancer

Freelancer is a global platform where nurse writers can bid on various writing projects. Pay varies widely based on the project and client. A strong profile and writing samples can help attract clients.

Start pitching for nurse freelance writing jobs today!

A nurse writer can make between $40,900 and $132,680 annually, depending on experience, education and location. Simply put, experienced nurse writers with advanced degrees and strong portfolios earn more.

Many people find freelance nurse writer jobs with previous employers or through referrals. After gaining some experience they can build a successful business. To boost your income as a nurse writer, focus on building a niche and gaining experience in medical writing. Learn SEO and content marketing, use various writing tools, network with healthcare professionals and continue developing your skills to stand out and attract higher-paying clients.

FAQs

Can a nurse write a book?

Yes, many nurse writers choose to write books, combining their experience in healthcare with storytelling or informative content. Nurses with a passion for sharing their knowledge can create educational resources, personal stories, or case studies to help others in the healthcare industry.

Medical writing for books often requires significant research and fact-checking to ensure the accuracy of the content. Freelance nurse writers can develop niche expertise, allowing them to tap into various opportunities, such as healthcare topics related to patient safety or working with pharmaceutical companies. Many nurses find this a rewarding way to contribute to the profession.

Can nurses write scripts?

Nurses can definitely write scripts, especially those interested in medical writing or freelance writing. Nurse writers with experience in patient care can create educational scripts for healthcare training, patient safety protocols or medical documentaries. By focusing on accurate information and research, nurses can craft scripts that effectively communicate medical concepts.

Freelance nurse writers can also collaborate with healthcare professionals, providing scripts for medical journals, health websites or pharmaceutical companies. Nurses seeking remote jobs or side hustles may find script writing a great way to apply their expertise while maintaining work-life balance and professional growth.

What is professional writing in nursing?

Professional writing in nursing involves creating clear, informative content tailored to healthcare professionals, patients and the general public. Nurse writers contribute to medical journals, health websites, case studies, and educational materials. This writing requires accuracy, research, and fact-checking to ensure patients and healthcare providers receive reliable information.

Nurses with advanced degrees or specialized expertise in fields like patient safety can use their knowledge to write educational articles, training materials, or patient resources. Many nurse writers pursue freelance writing opportunities to enhance their professional growth and work-life balance while contributing to healthcare education.

Becoming a nurse writer lets you use your nursing skills in a flexible career. By improving your writing, using resources like Freelance Writers Den and networking, you can find freelance writing jobs and build your career.

An original version of this story previously appeared on this page. We updated the post so it’s more useful and accurate for our readers.

Pricing your work can feel like a shot in the dark—especially when clients try to lowball you or when fellow freelancers hesitate to talk numbers.

But here’s the thing: Knowledge is power. And the only way to know where you truly stand is by getting real data from real writers. That’s why I’m running a quick, five-minute survey to gather insights on what freelance writers are earning right now.

Why take the Make a Living Writing 2025 Pay Survey?

• Get a reality check—Are you in line with industry standards, or is it time to raise your rates?
• Help create transparency—The more freelancers share, the more we all benefit
• No fluff, just facts—The survey is quick and to the point, no personal details required
• We’re giving away prizes—If you fill in the survey by March 31, 2025, we’ll enter you in a random drawing for one grand prize of a free year in the Freelance Writers Den and the Celebrate Your Independence e-book bundle, three second prizes of one month in the Freelance Writers Den and the Celebrate Your Independence e-book bundle, and five third prizes of a free month in the Freelance Writers Den.

Once the results are in, we’ll publish a full breakdown of the findings

You’ll see exactly what other writers at different experience levels and niches are making, so you can make informed decisions about your own pricing

Ready to see how your rates stack up? Click here to take the survey. It only takes five minutes!

Everyone who completes the survey and provides their contact information to be entered into the drawing will have the chance to win one of these prizes:

• Grand prize: One-year membership to the Freelance Writers Den plus the Celebrate Your Independence E-book Bundle
• Three second prizes: One-month membership to the Freelance Writers Den plus the Celebrate Your Independence E-book Bundle
• Five third prizes: One-month membership to the Freelance Writers Den

And if you know another freelancer who might be curious about their rates, please share this post with them. The more data we collect, the better picture we’ll get of the freelance writing landscape.

Stay tuned for the results, and let’s take the guesswork out of pricing our work!

I received a moving email message from a longtime professional writer and single mom of two who had been laid off from a lucrative editing job.

Now, looking out on today’s freelance world full of $15-an-article assignments, she doesn’t know how she will support her family. She’d have to work around the clock at content-mill rates to make ends meet, and doesn’t want to do that kind of work anyway.

“I am just not capable of slapping things together and calling it writing. I’m truly afraid that things will not get better.”

Well, she wrote to the right person. Because I’m not afraid. And she needs to be fearless too, and so do you.

Do you believe you’re a writer?

In this economy and fast-changing writing landscape, attitude is everything. I believe prospective employers can smell the fear and negativity on applicants from miles off, and they steer clear. And that feeds the cycle of no work, and more fear.

I think the secret of why I’ve had such a successful year is that I never feared.

I believe that I am really a talented writer, and that I will continue to find paying clients, no matter what. Somewhere in the enormous, multi-million-dollar sea that is the freelance writing market, there’s enough lucrative work to provide a good living for one little me.

I believe it.

I’m such a small part of the whole marketplace, that there doesn’t have to be a recession for me. That’s my belief. And that’s why I’ve found good-paying clients, all through this recession.

I am not sitting around mourning the shrinking world of traditional journalism.

I’m wide open to new possibilities in my field, so I find them.

I sign my cover letters for jobs with “Enjoy!”

I am communicating my excitement to everyone I meet at the new opportunities that are arising in the world of writing.

I think editors find it refreshing—I’ve often gotten responses with an hour.

When I talk with writers, the ones in the worst shape have very negative attitudes.

They don’t believe there’s good-paying work out there for them anymore. They waste time mourning the loss of a job, the loss of the old world of journalism, they want to vent about their raw deal, and mostly they can’t stop wishing things would go back the way they were.

That’s never going to happen. And hiring editors don’t want to hear it. The negativity becomes self-fulfilling prophecy, and when I check back in with them, usually they’ve given up and are looking for full-time jobs, or have decided to be stay-at-home moms and forget about having a writing career for now.

Do you believe in your writing abilities? Do you think there’s a place for you in the new media order—and are you excited by that? Then find the good-paying work that’s waiting for you. I believe it’s out there. Do you?

This post originally appeared on the WM Freelance Writer’s Connection.

Originally credited to Hunter S. Thompson, gonzo journalism is the style of writing where you’re covering a topic or event, but you’re mixing your own thoughts and experiences into the writing.

Traditionally in journalism, you do not mention yourself at all and are supposed to stay objective throughout your reporting. You’re just an observer trying to give the facts as accurately as you can.

With gonzo journalism, you are almost a character in the story and it matters who you are and how you see the world or go through some experiences.

You’re still reporting on the event or topic you’re covering, but it’s from a much more personalized angle than you would as a traditional reporter.

In the current world, we see more first-person reporting than back then, especially with people able to publish their own content online. It’s a style audiences are used to reading compared to before it started to be published.

At the time that gonzo journalism started to become popular, it was a new form of writing that most people had not yet experienced.

Throughout this article, we’re going to go through the history of gonzo journalism, what makes it different than other types of writing, and how you can get into writing these types of pieces if that is your goal.

What is gonzo journalism?

According to Wikipedia, “The word ‘gonzo’ is believed to have been first used in 1970 to describe an article about the Kentucky Derby by Hunter S. Thompson, who popularized the style.”

Bill Cardoso, an editor at the Boston Globe, said, “‘Gonzo’ was South Boston Irish slang describing the last man standing after an all-night drinking marathon.”

This is a perfect description of Thompson’s style of writing and how he approached journalism.

Gonzo journalism is a style of writing that takes out objectivity and is written as a first-person narrative. There is often a level of satire mixed with social critique where the writer is the protagonist throughout the piece.

When practicing gonzo journalism, your background and perspective as a writer is essential to include.

While Thompson had a brash-style of writing, not all gonzo journalism is as edgy. Sometimes it’s simply personalized news reporting.

What is an example of gonzo journalism?

One of the first published pieces of gonzo journalism is the sports article “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” by Hunter S. Thompson.

Instead of writing about the Kentucky Derby and reporting the facts of the event, Thompson wrote about the drunken debauchery in the local city and the area around the Derby itself. He shared his own thoughts and experiences as he went through the event while also reporting on the surrounding events.

Cardoso (editor at The Boston Globe), loved the piece and said, “This is it, this is pure Gonzo. If this is a start, keep rolling.”

This piece kicked off what was called the “new journalism movement” where journalists started to push the boundaries and reach outside the traditional rules of journalism.

Another famous piece that displays gonzo journalism is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. While it is technically fiction, it is written in the gonzo journalism style.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a great book to read if you want to fully immerse yourself in this style of writing and learn how it works.

Outside of Thompson, Tom Wolfe is another famous gonzo journalist. His book, The New Journalism, outlined how journalism was starting to change and the new writers leading the charge.

Lester Bangs from Rolling Stone magazine is one of the first gonzo journalists to bring this style of writing to music. (You might know him better from the movie Almost Famous where he’s played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.)

Bangs brought his own experiences and thoughts to his writing, which music journalists hadn’t done up until that point.

Why is it called gonzo journalism?

Gonzo journalism is rumored to be called that due to a comment made by Cardoso when he was describing “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.”

It’s a slang term from the Boston Irish meaning “the last man standing,” and it was an apt description for Thompson’s satirical writing.

Thompson believed that journalism could never be truly objective. He thought that personal bias played a role in all journalism because writers are human. Because he operated from this belief, he birthed an entire new style of journalism.

How to get into gonzo journalism

If you want to become a gonzo journalist, you’re going to need a unique perspective and writing voice.

So much of this type of writing is based on style and personality as opposed to following traditional journalism writing style.

If you come from an academic writing or journalism background, you’ll need to practice writing creatively and injecting your opinion. This will feel foreign at first!

Most schools do not teach how to inject your main character persona into your writing, so it can be a steep learning curve.

However, it’s a good time to get into gonzo reporting because there’s more examples to follow and ways to learn than ever before.

You can also start to publish your own work online (on a website or social media) faster than people could before where they had to go through traditional publishing routes.

Find stories that others would care about

While it would be great to write journal-style posts all day and draw in readers, what separates that from gonzo journalism is that there’s an event or particular topic that is being covered.

You’ll want to find interesting angles and people to cover so you can include your own experiences, thoughts, and opinions.

For example, you could write a personalized story about attending Comic Con in your city and your own experiences at it.

You could grow your career by either writing about a certain type of niche or you could grow your career by having a writing voice that stands out.

Work on your writing style

It can be hard to write in a gonzo journalism style since it goes against what most of us were taught in school.

If you’re like me, we were taught that even writing “I” or any first-person stories were always a no-no.

You’ll want to practice sharing your own thoughts and experiences in a first-person narrative.

Telling your own stories and mixing them into what you’re currently experiencing is hard, but it’s necessary to get your style where it needs to be.

Immerse yourself in a topic or experience

One of the top ways you’re going to get your foot in the door of this industry is by having pieces to show editors.

You’re going to have to start publishing pieces as much as you can, even if it’s on your own website.

Ideally, you can find a publication to share your work, but all of us have to start somewhere. If you have to start on your own website, it’s a perfectly great place to start getting the ball rolling.

Submit and pitch your work

Once you have some samples published, you’re going to need to get them into the hands of as many editors as you can.

You’ll need to think deeply about why they would want to publish your work and what they get out of it.

You’ll want to come up with stories and unique angles to work on in your pitches so you can get an editor excited about green lighting an article for you.

If you’re wondering what opportunities exist for freelance writers in 2024 (hint: there are plenty!) then make sure to register for the free webinar called How to Successfully Break Into Journalism in 2024! You’ll learn about the different types of journalism and what you may best be suited for, and the top skills successful journalists need and what it can lead to.

Some of these rip-offs are age-old and never seem to go away. And new scams are always emerging, keeping writers on their toes.

We’re past due for an updated guide to the scams that target writers—with tips on how you can avoid falling for them. 

Please don’t get scammed! Keep reading for the top 10 scams that target writers, or fill in the form below to get this as a digital ebook. (Or both!)

The top 10 scams that target writers

Often freelance writers can be too trusting, as we seek to ply our trade. Sadly, there are plenty of people out there ready to take advantage of our trusting nature for their own gain.

1. Writing for free

There are many “opportunities” to write for free online. You’ll get a lot of pitches that your free piece will give you “great exposure.” Most of these offers are a complete waste of your time and energy.

The most common scam in this category is the request to write a free trial article as an audition for a job.

Unless you have no clips, you shouldn’t have to do this—prospects can just look at your samples and decide whether to hire you.

All too often, companies fill their content needs by simply asking applicants to do these “auditions.” These free samples are their whole source of content. They don’t really plan to hire anyone.

If you get asked to write a free sample, ask yourself if it’s worth your time. A good counter-offer is to write the piece on spec—namely, that if they use the clip you’ll be paid. If it’s good enough to publish, there’s no justifiable reason why your first piece should be unpaid.

2. Pennies for ad-clicks

Somewhat similar to Medium’s formula, you may find sites that offer an “opportunity” to write for what they promise will be pay. But the pay model is based on how often readers click on the ads next to your posts, or how many views a post gets.

Most of the sites making these offers have little traffic, so no clicks will happen. Also, have you noticed that people generally hate online ads? Real diminishing returns there, in general.

This is a formula that may have worked 15 years ago, but few sites today are good pay-per-click earning opportunities.

There is a legit way to earn based on traffic or ad clicks. That’s with a minimum-pay guarantee, with click or eyeball revenue figured in as a bonus. I earned well writing for Forbes on this formula at one point (sadly, their pay scheme is different now). Any site that really generates high traffic should be willing to offer you some base pay, since they know you’ll get some traffic. If they won’t pay a flat guaranteed fee in addition to click revenue, I recommend you move on.

3. Pay to play

This is one of the oldest scams out there. It’s so popular that the FTC warns against it. “Congratulations, your resume shows you are qualified for X contract job! Just pay the $30 application fee and you’ll be hired.” Nope. Total scam.

Legitimate employers don’t ask you to pay to apply or to get hired for their job. Nuh-uh.

Also, consider this gray area: the websites that promise you unique lists of freelance jobs, if you’ll pay a monthly subscription fee.

(Red flag: No samples will be offered, no free trial. No other benefits, just job lists.)

Heads up: Most of those job ads are simply scraped up from Craigslist and other places you could look at yourself, for free. And most of them pay about $20 per blog post.

When are job listings worth a fee?

A paid jobs list should be unique and high-quality. Shout-out to FlexJobs, which does an impressive job of digging up legit jobs off arcane places you’ll never find on your own.

A time-saving list of high-paying gigs is worth a fee, in my view. Most pay-to-play sites serve up warmed-over junk listings. Save your money, do your own research-and remember that online job ads are rarely a source of great freelance-writing jobs. That only comes from qualifying and pitching your own prospects, who aren’t sifting through 500 resumes from a mass job ad.

4. Follow the bouncing check

In these days of electronic fund transfers and PayPal, it’s fairly unusual for a client to want to send you a physical check or, even weirder, a money order or Western Union telegram. So if someone asks to pay you in one of these old-school ways, be on red alert. We’ve heard from writers who have turned in packages of 20 articles or more on the basis of an advance check, only to discover the check has bounced.

Another common rubber-check scam that targets writers involves sending you a fat, fake check for a lucrative-sounding upcoming writing assignment. It’s over $1 a word! You’re so excited, they’re paying so well. But after you deposit their check, they cancel part of the writing order and ask you to send the extra funds back.

Meanwhile, the check bounces. By the time your bank notifies you, you’ve mailed off $400 to your “client,” and they’re in the wind.

In another variation, the client tells you that special equipment or materials are required to do their writing job. (Say what!?) They will send you a check to cover this purchase, but urge you to go ahead and buy it now, so you can get started. You buy the needed items, which never arrive. You’ve wired your “reimbursement” to the client’s shadow company. By the time you start to wonder what’s up, their check has bounced.

5. Imposter syndrome

No, I’m not talking about the self-esteem problem where you don’t feel worthy of earning a great living as a freelance writers. Here, I mean scammers who impersonate a name-brand company or thought leader in hopes of luring you into their scam.

One popular scam in this category involved people posing as executives at Mercer Consulting. They request Google Hangout-based text “interviews” to screen you.

Presto-you’re hired!

The only problem is that they’re imposters, leveraging a big-business name to suck you into a scam. Luckily, the writers I know have managed to pull out before finding out the details of how they were going to get exploited here. Likely, they would have turned in a big project, only to find the client in the wind.

Writers with high visibility online also get impersonated this way, by people running the next scam in our list. I know because it happened to me.

6. Man in the middle

When is a client not really a client? When they are a middleman inserting themselves into a transaction to steal a cut of your pay. Not talking about digital agencies that go out and hustle to sign clients and then hire writers to do their assignments. These are people who’ve done nothing to create the opportunity-they just want some money that should rightfully be yours.

This has been going on since the birth of the Internet. Here’s how it works: people who aren’t writers sign up on mass platforms such as Upwork, posing as writers. Then, they bid low on masses of gigs to scoop up as many listings as possible. Then, they offer to sub the work out to you, for even less money than the pittance that was offered originally. They pocket the difference.

I can document middleman scams targeting writers dating back to the days of Elance (remember them?)—that was the place where someone posed as me and then wanted to sub out work for a pittance.

When you talk to clients, make sure they are the client, not a middleman adding zero value. You get paid less in this scenario, and don’t get direct client contact. That means you’ve been robbed not just of some of your pay, but also of the career-making opportunity to get client recommendations and referrals.

7. Fake pricing scams

This is that new wrinkle I was telling you about. Apparently, some clients list high rates on their jobs when they post them to mass platforms-but there’s a catch.

If you see a note that says “ignore the price,” watch out. It turns out some platforms allow clients to post one price in their listing, but their fine print reveals the job actually pays pennies. This is a way of attracting better-quality writers who’ve set higher rates on the platform, and then hoping to sucker them into writing for less. Maybe you do a batch of work before noticing their real price is different than the one you saw.

Shout-out to freelance writer Sylvie Tremblay for alerting me to this scam, which she experienced on ClearVoice:

If you see a deceptively-priced listing, report it to the platform it’s on. Hopefully, we can keep the pressure on to get these posters banned.

8. Promotional scams

Marketing your writing is time-consuming work most of us hate. That’s why scams have proliferated that purport to  find us clients or help sell our book. Some of the popular offers out there:

• Lead-finding platforms. Plenty of places claim they can drum up prospects for you…but I’ve heard zero success stories in my entire 25+ year writing career. There is no autopilot marketing algorithm that gets this done
• List sellers. They’ll claim to have a quality, up-to-date list of great prospects for you. But these lists are always a waste of money, with obsolete contact info. There is no list you can buy that will get you gigs-and you can easily build your own lead list with free online search
• Book promoters. They’ll claim to make your book into a guaranteed bestseller. But as my friend Linda Formichelli sadly found out, promoters can be sketchy and may not fulfill on their promises. Be skeptical and ask to talk to happy customers before paying others for legwork you could do on your own.

I wish there was a way to delegate our marketing done, but time has shown that in the freelance-marketing world, there’s no real substitute for marketing your own services. There’s no pre-built list or automated tool that can get us great clients. Build your network, build your audience, and sell your services. If you want help, carefully check references on anyone you bring on to help you promote.

The VA solution

There are routine parts of our marketing that can be delegated. What you can do is hire someone and give them parameters of who your client is, hand them your homemade prospect list, and get them to do the scut work of sitting and finding a contact name and email for each lead.

You can also write a marketing email pitch and have a VA sit and customize each one and send it out. Admin tasks can be farmed out, under your direction…but that’s about it.

9. Reputation destroyers

If you’ve worked as a journalist, you’ve probably been approached with an offer like this-we’ll pay you to write on the sites where you already have relationships. Please profile us as a great company. Quote our expert.

The catch: They don’t want you to tell your editor they’re paying you.

If you don’t know, this is unethical for journalists. It’s a conflict of interest. But increasingly, if they can land a link on Forbes.com or another high-traffic site with a great reputation, >marketing managers at struggling startups don’t care if they ruin your career.

Yes, it might well get you banned from that site, when the ruse is uncovered. And they don’t care.

The low-rent version of this reputation killer is the undisclosed, paid link-insertion request. A client just wants you to insert links to their site in posts you write on high-traffic, well-regarded sites-without telling your editor. They’ll throw $50 or $100 per link your way, for doing them this favor.

When your editor figures it out, you’ll be banned from their platform. Word gets around about writers with ethical challenges. It won’t ever be worth what they’re offering, when it could tank your career. Essentially, in this scenario you’re pretending you’re a journalist who’s independently found this company noteworthy. And it’s a lie.

If you’re starving this week, it might seem like easy money. I know writers who do this double-dipping, and think it’s no big deal-they’re willing to roll the dice on ruining their career. Trust me, it won’t be worth it. Just say no.

10. Writer education scams

Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this, as someone who offers 3-4 new courses every year. But there are a whole lot of sketchy course offers that target freelance writers. They make big promises and deliver little actual learning, teacher FaceTime, or earning potential for you.

What are the problems? Watch for:

• Faux “experts” who have scant experience in the type of writing or freelancer marketing they’re teaching. I’ve seen people sell a course within 60 days of becoming a full-time freelancer. I’ve even seen presenters who use a pseudonym. Talk about untrustworthy!
• Big-earning promises for obsolete writing types, such as direct response copywriting (when’s the last time you got one of those long letters in the mail?)
• A lack of testimonials from happy students
• Outrageous pricing, such as a $2,500 SEO course I recently saw advertised, with one of the longest sales pages I’ve ever seen
• Fake freelancing career-help platforms tossed up by fly-by-night operators, hoping to collect membership fees before they get a ton of negative online reviews and disappear. Some then start over with a new URL and keep on scamming
• Useless “certifications.” Have you been offered a chance to earn a “certificate” in some type of freelance writing, from a non-university? Often, these are pricey courses. Many training platforms will tell you their certificate will be a major game-changer for your writing career. Slap this on your writer site, they tell you, and the clients will be begging to hire you. If you’ve bought into this mythology, I’ve got bad news.

Writing certifications are all but useless. Our clients aren’t familiar with what online courses are available to us, or who taught us what. They actually don’t care if you have a degree from Columbia.

They read your portfolio and decide whether to hire you. That’s it. Credentials aren’t considered—I know because I’m a college dropout with a certificate in nothing, yet I’ve written for multiple Fortune 500 companies.

If you’re wondering why Freelance Writers Den has never dangled a “certificate” at you for completing a course, it’s because certificates don’t help your career. Need to learn something? Take a course from a proven, expert instructor. Use your new skills to pitch for better work.

There’s only one kind of certificate that helps you. That’s one that comes with an instructor’s introduction to prospective clients he’s educated about his program. Marketing offers like these are few, while certificate offers are many.

Your scam-fighting toolkit for scams that target writers

How can you become a street-smart freelance writer who doesn’t get ripped off? Here are my tips and resources:

Never write for a new business client without a contract and up-front payment

I like 50% of the first project or first month’s retainer, before I start writing. The deposit really screens out a lot of flakes. Don’t forget to let their payment clear the bank, to make sure it’s legit. With international clients, consider asking for 100% up-front. There’s little legal recourse to sue for nonpayment across international borders.

Vet publications carefully

You can’t get a deposit here, so be on guard. How long have they been around? Any chatter online about stiffing writers? Try to get payment terms on acceptance rather than publication, in case they keep pushing your piece to future issues.

Research, research, research

It’s easy to get excited when a prospect contacts you, but look before you leap. Who is this prospect? Ideally, you want to see they’re big, successful, and have been around a long time. A few basic research tips:

• Get full contact information, including street address and phone, not just an email
• Look them up online and send a confirming email to the address you find on their site, to verify it’s really them looking to hire you
• Use whopayswriters.com to check publication pay rates, before you waste time querying a non-payer
• Check Glassdoor reviews for negative comments
• See if they have any Better Business Bureau complaints
• Google “X company sucks,” “is X Company a scam?” or “Is X legit?” to see if your prospect’s shady moves are blowing up the Internet

Ask your community

Don’t freelance alone! You need peers so you have a sounding board when you’re wondering if something is a scam. Within the Freelance Writers Den the members help each other avoid rip-offs and have been for more than a decade. With this big of a freelance-writer group, somebody’s always seen your scam before.

Know the FTC

The Federal Trade Commission warns the public about scams, including ones that impact writers.

Always disclose relationships

Don’t keep the fact that a company is paying you to write about or link to them a secret from your publication editors. Ever.

Avoid backlink swaps

Google doesn’t like to see you stuff a link on your blog in return for getting a link to your blog on your client’s site. Don’t risk your site’s reputation for $50 to $100, or even just a mutual free swap.

Choose coaches, teachers, and promo helpers carefully

Give them the same vetting you’d give a client. How big are they, how long have they been doing this, what’s their level of experience in this topic, is that their real name, can you talk to happy customers…the works. Cross-compare offers and prices before you buy.

Guard your personal information

The only time you should be sending your Social Security number is by submitting a W9 after thoroughly vetting a prospect and verifying their identity. Only send bank account info by filling out an ACH deposit form sent by a verified bank-that gives a client no ability to withdraw, only to deposit. Use secure channels to send personal ID numbers.

Beware of obviously overblown promises

Is freelance writing a guaranteed high-earning career? Can you earn $10,000 a month as a brand-newbie with no training? No.

Trust your gut

Does something not smell right here? If so, investigate. I recently got an InMail from a construction company consultant who said LinkedIn “recommended me” to him (what?). He wanted me to ghostwrite an article on alcohol abuse. Huh? I took that to my LinkedIn network and immediately heard from three other writers who’d gotten the exact same message, in some cases multiple times…a sure sign something’s fishy.

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true…it usually is.

It’s your freelance business to run. Be a good steward of your time and resources and do your homework before you jump on any offers, whether they’re for jobs, marketing help, or courses.

Be your own scam-buster

It’s a great time to be a freelance writer, because there’s a ton of great opportunity out there…but if you waste time falling for scams, it’s hard to earn well.

I hope you can use this guide to avoid getting ripped off, so you can spend more time finding great clients.

Want these top 10 scams that target writers as an ebook? Fill your email address in the form below and we’ll send it to you!

Readers will have an easier time visualizing, hearing, and imagining a scenario so that, instead of simply digesting the information, they can actually experience it.

You can use sensory details in any story, literary or not, to make your writing jump off the page and engage the reader’s interest.

In this article, we’re looking at the basics of sensory language and how you can use it to make your writing come alive.

What Is Sensory Language?

Sensory language simply refers to words or phrases that create a connection to one or more of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

It’s a descriptive language that plays on the reader’s senses and is tailored to invoke mental images by engaging the reader’s mind on multiple levels.

Sensory Language Examples

Sensory language consists mainly of adjectives (words that give more detail to nouns) and helps to provide readers with a more vivid description of something.

It’s a powerful tool to help readers connect to a specific image, action, or scene.

Listed below are a few examples of sensory language:

1. Visual Words (Sight)

Visual imagery engages the sense of sight. It includes things that you can see, as well as visual descriptions and physical attributes such as size, color, shape, etc.

• Colorful
• Light
• Dark
• Crowded
• Peaceful
• Shiny
• Deserted

2. Auditory Words (Sound)

Auditory imagery is all about the way things sound. Alliteration, onomatopoeia, and other literary devices help to create sounds in writing.

• Loud
• Quiet
• Pounding
• Rambling
• Buzzing
• Bubbling
• Humming

3. Olfactory Words (Smell)

The sense of smell is engaged by olfactory imagery. However, although scent is one of the most powerful triggers of emotion and memory, it can be difficult to write about.

Taste and smell are closely linked, which means that you’ll often find the same words used to describe both, such as “sweet,” or “spicy.“

• Fresh
• Rotten
• Smokey
• Earthy
• Burnt
• Moldy
• Stinky
• Vile

4. Tactile Words (Touch)

Tactile imagery relates to the sense of touch. It includes things that you can feel, such as textures, differences in temperature, or human sensations when touching something.

• Soft
• Smooth
• Rough
• Hard
• Slippery
• Cold
• Hot
• Prickly
• Slimy

5. Gustatory Words (Taste)

These are words that engage the sense of taste. They include things you can taste, and the five basic flavors: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.

Gustatory words also involve the textures and sensations that are tied to eating.

• Sweet
• Spicy
• Sour
• Salty
• Bitter
• Nutty
• Bland
• Tangy

6. Kinesthetic Words (Kinesthesia)

Kinesthesia relates to the feeling of movement. Some of the words can be similar to tactile words, but kinesthetic imagery is more concerned with full-body sensations, such as you might experience during exercise.

• Flapping wings
• Pounding hearts
• Rushing water
• Gurgling stream
• Flickering/twinkling lights
• Galloping horses
• Fear creeping up
• Batting her eyelashes

Here is an example of some of these words integrated into full sentences:

“Standing on the deserted beach, he could see the flickering lights in the distance. The water sparkled in the moonlight and the sand felt soft and smooth beneath his feet.”

Can you see how much easier it is to imagine the setting thanks to all the sensory words used in the paragraph? It might not be perfect, but perfect is the enemy of good. You might not win the Pulitzer Prize, but using sensory language will make your writing better than most, if not all, of your competitors.

3 Benefits of Using Sensory Language

Sensory language is mostly used in literature, but it doesn’t mean that the application of this type of vocabulary is exclusively artistic. It can also be extremely useful in copywriting, as well as marketing in general.

Here are some benefits that come with using more sensory language in your writing.

Improved Marketing and Advertising

Scientists have shown that multisensory language results in better marketing. That’s because we perceive the world around us using multiple senses, and that’s the reason why most people are naturally more receptive to the type of marketing that reflects multisensory experiences.

Higher Engagement

The use of sensory language helps you create more engagement in your readers. Take the example of the man on the beach. The inclusion of sensory words makes that short passage a lot more descriptive and engaging than simply saying, “He stood on the beach.”

Better Retention

As human beings, we are wired to relate to stuff that has an emotional impact on us. That’s one of the reasons why we tend to remember good stories. Your use of sensory language will make your writing more memorable, and ultimately more impactful.

Conceptual Metaphor Theory

Using sensory words like the ones listed above is a great way to add narrative elements to your writing.

It helps you qualify and illustrate some concepts and makes your writing more entertaining and engaging.

However, an even more effective way to use sensory language is by including metaphors in your writing. This not only makes your writing stronger but also helps you to avoid boring and generic phrases that lull people to sleep rather than propelling them into action.

Our day-to-day experiences are multisensory. However, it’s difficult to capture this phenomenon linguistically. And that’s where conceptual metaphors come in.

A conceptual metaphor refers to a figurative comparison (metaphor) in which an idea (conceptual domain) is understood in terms of another.

For example:

• Her voice is music to my ears
• The world is my playground
• The present was the cherry on top

Conceptual metaphors are a big part of the conceptual precepts and common language shared by the members of any culture.

Such metaphors are systematic since there’s a defined correlation between the structures of both the source and target domains.

They work well in terms of sensory language because humans generally recognize things in terms of common understanding, and these types of metaphors bridge the gap when the English language can’t produce an adequate description.

And since conceptual metaphors are derived from collective cultural understanding, they have become linguistic conventions.

Scientists mapping the brain’s metaphor circuitry have shown how metaphorical thoughts and language work in the brain. Their theory is that everyday reason uses embodied metaphor circuitry which has a great impact on the sensory regions of the brain.

That’s one of the reasons why these days the definitions for many words and idiomatic expressions depend on the individual’s understanding of accepted conceptual metaphors.

Types of Metaphors that Can be Constructed Using Sensory Language

Using metaphors rife with sensory language is a great way to offer vivid descriptions without forcing sensory language, particularly when writing about subject matters that are too dry to pull narratives from.

In such a case, metaphors can help you simultaneously engage and inform your readers.

For instance, when writing a review post for a course creation platform, you might call it the “Cadillac of online course platforms.” Readers will immediately connect (provided they understand that a Cadillac is a high-quality vehicle) and understand that you mean the online course platform is the best in its category.

Conclusion

Sensory language helps you bring your readers into the world you’re creating. For instance, if you’re a blogger, it can help you increase the time your users spend on your site and make your content more shareable on social media, which can lead to earning more money. A little sensory language can make your content leap from the pages and stick like glue inside your reader’s head.

See what I did there?

Yeah, that’s the power of sensory language and conceptual metaphors. It gives your reader’s imagination a boost and creates more memorable content.

When you incorporate sensory details in your writing, your readers can more easily experience what you are trying to describe.

It reminds them of their own experiences, which gives your writing a powerful universal feel that allows you to personally connect with your readers.

When developing your new strategy and marketing plan, think about incorporating sensory language and help your audience connect with your brand more deeply.

Ron Stefanski is a professor and entrepreneur who has a passion for helping people create and market their own online business. You can learn more by visiting OneHourProfessor.com.

Irony occurs when something deviates from what is expected, but this term is very commonly misused and misunderstood.

In this article, we’ll look at the three main types of irony, as well as irony examples in film, literature, and real life to help you incorporate it into your own writing

It can be difficult to determine whether or not something is actually ironic or just bad luck. There are three main kinds of irony. Verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational irony. 

Verbal irony

Verbal irony is a figure of speech where what is said is opposite to what is meant. This type of irony is often used rhetorically and can be used to convey humor, sarcasm, frustration, or anger. It relies heavily on context, tone, and delivery to signal the reader or listener that the speaker’s true intent is the opposite of what is presented. 

Verbal irony examples

• Understatement: Describing something as much smaller, less important, or valuable than it really is. Example: Saying, “It’s a little windy out” during a Category 5 hurricane 
• Litotes: A type of understatement that emphasizes a certain quality by negating the opposite. Example: “The casserole is not bad”
• Double entendre: When a phrase has a double meaning, often used to subtly share inappropriate jokes that younger readers or viewers will not understand but adult audiences will find amusing. Example: Saying “You look so hot” to someone who is sweating 

Dramatic irony

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something the characters do not. This form of irony creates tension, suspense, or humor to engage the audience and add depth to the story. 

Dramatic irony examples

• Tragic irony: When the audience knows that something bad is going to happen to the character while they remain unaware. Example: The audience sees a dangerous criminal go down an alley and the character walks the same way without seeing them 
• Comic irony: When what the audience knows but the character does not lead to something amusing. Example: In the show Jury Duty, a cast of actors set up a fake trial, judge, and jury. One juror, Ronald, is the only one who is not an actor and thinks it is a real trial 

Situational irony

The most common type of irony is situational irony. With situational irony, what happens is the opposite of what is expected. These ironic plot twists create amusement, surprise, or tragic twists of fate. 

Examples of situational irony

• Karma/Poetic justice: When a character unexpectedly receives a fitting consequence. Example: When the wicked prison warden in The Shawshank Redemption is outed for his financial crimes by the falsely imprisoned and recently escaped Andy Dufresne 
• Fateful twist: Something that happens by chance in a strange, interesting, or unfortunate way. Example: The inventor of the Segway actually died in a Segway accident
• Role reversal: When a character finds themselves in a role opposite to what is expected Example: In Dreamwork’s Megamind, the evil Megamind created a new superhero, Titan, so he would have someone to challenge him, but Titan turned evil and Megamind had to become the good guy to defeat him and save the city 

Irony examples in film and literature

*spoiler alerts!*

The Twilight Zone S1 E8: Time Enough at Last 

In this episode of The Twilight Zone (my personal favorite), a bank teller who wants nothing except time to read in peace accidentally escapes a nuclear war in the bank vault and emerges into an empty world. All that is left standing is the public library with enough books and canned food to last him a lifetime. Just as he settles in for a peaceful life of reading, he bends over to pick up his first novel, his glasses fall off his face and shatter. He now, ironically, has all the time in the world but can never read again. This is situational irony.

Harry Potter

There are many instances of irony throughout the Harry Potter series. Harry believes for so long that he must kill Voldemort to save himself and the wizarding world only to find out that he is the final horcrux and must let Voldemort kill him instead. Ironically, Lord Voldemort does not know that in trying to kill Harry as a baby he turned him into the seventh horcrux and that him now killing Harry will ultimately lead to his demise. This is dramatic irony.

Mean Girls

Regina: Oh my god, I love your skirt! Where did you get it?

Lea: It was my mom’s in the 80s!

Regina: Vintage, so adorable.

Lea: Thanks

(Lea leaves)

Regina: (Turns to Cady) That is the ugliest effing skirt I’ve ever seen. 

This is verbal irony.

Les Misérables

When Jean Valjean breaks parole, he is taken in for the night by a humble bishop who gives him food and shelter. While the bishop sleeps, Valjean steals his precious silver candle sticks and flees. Valjean is apprehended and brought back to the bishop’s home, expecting punishment for his crime. The bishop tells the officers there has been a mistake and that he had given Valjean the candle sticks as a gift. The kind bishop tells Valjean to take this gift and use it to become an honest man. This is situational irony. 

Seinfeld S6 E7: The Soup

George: “I feel like my old self again. Totally inadequate, completely insecure, paranoid, neurotic… It’s a pleasure.” This is verbal irony.

Tuck Everlasting

The Tuck family accidentally becomes immortal by drinking water from a spring in Treegap, New Hampshire. Over the years a man in a yellow suit catches on to their disposition and wants the power of immortality for himself and to sell it to make a fortune. He tirelessly pursues the Tucks to find the source of the spring and ironically is killed in his quest for immortality. This is situational irony.

The Truman Show

Truman Burbank lives an idyllic life in an idyllic city. Ironically, he is the only one unaware that he is the star of a reality TV show. Everyone he knows is an actor and the city is actually a set on a sound stage. This is dramatic irony. 

Shrek

Donkey: Can I stay with you please?

Shrek: Of course!

Donkey: Really?

Shrek: No

This is verbal irony.

Frozen 

Olaf the snowman’s favorite season is summer. This is situational irony.

Real-life irony examples

• The “unsinkable” Titanic sank on its first voyage
• Just as the Titanic ignored warnings and sank, over a century later the OceanGate submersible Titan, on its way to the wreckage site, ignored warnings and met the same fate 
• Most of the irony examples in Alanis Morrissette’s song “Ironic” aren’t actually ironic
• Doctors promoted cigarettes up until the mid-late 20th century
• Fast and Furious star Paul Walker died in a car crash
• A fire station burning down
• A police station being robbed
• An out-of-shape personal trainer
• A dentist with cavities
• A pilot who is afraid of heights

Irony can elevate your writing by creating layers of complexity that can provoke emotional and intellectual responses from your audience.

Adding irony examples into your writing can not only infuse your stories with humor and suspense, but also shed light on the injustice, absurdity, and hypocrisy of the world around us.